xii Contents 



Depletion of the natural beds in Puget Sound — Introduc- 

 tion of the Atlantic oyster in San Francisco and Willapa 

 bays — Failure of reproduction — Low temperature — Ac- 

 climatization — Stock companies for rearing oysters in 

 Washington 269 



Chapter XVIII 



THE SOFT CLAM— DISTRIBUTION AND 

 CONDITIONS CONTROLLING IT 



Former abundance in New England — Present scarcity — 

 Vernacular and " scientific " names — Character of clam 

 bottoms — Digging clams — Action of disturbed clams — 

 Conditions necessary for the growth of Mya — Effect of a 

 shifting bottom — A tenacious soil necessary — Clay, a 

 growth of algae thatch — Water currents and the food 

 supply — Effect of close segregation — Good effects of 

 digging — Great variation in salinity not harmful — 

 Enemies few 276 



Chapter XIX 



THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE SOFT CLAM 



The breeding season — Destruction of the swimming young — 

 Settling to the bottom — The byssus — Attachment and its 

 purposes — The creeping period and its dangers — Destruc- 

 tion by small starfish — Beginning of the burrowing habit 

 — Byssus attachment in the burrow and its purpose — 

 Atrophy of the byssus — Final descent into the ground . 290 



Chapter XX 



THE GROWTH OF THE SOFT CLAM AND 

 SOME NOTES ON CLAM CULTURE 



First experiments on the growth of Mya— The plan followed 

 — Determination of the amount of growth — Specific 

 example — Table showing growth of planted clams — Ex- 

 periments by the Massachusetts Fish and Game Commis- 

 sion—Early attempts at clam culture— The Bridgeport 

 experiment — Towns allowed to rent flats — The Essex 

 experiment— Peculiarities of the clam set— Immense 

 segregations and their causes — Sources of seed for plant- 

 ing — How seed clams may be planted — Amount of seed 

 to be used— Barren flats available in Massachusetts- 

 Public and private ownership of clam shores — Present 

 absurd laws— Advantages of clam culture not possessed 



